Should You Put Your Street Address in Your Resume Heading?

I just finished a resume review for a job seeker who had only her name, email address, and phone number in her resume heading. When I asked her why she hadn't listed her street address, she said she was hoping to relocate to another state and didn't want her current out-of-state address to hurt her chances of getting a job.

I know of other job seekers who are concerned about putting their street addresses on their resumes because of identity theft and personal security. MapQuest and Google Maps have made the latter concern even deeper. And I sometimes wonder if managers conduct "geographic profiling." A quick look at the map could tell the employer what sort of neighborhood you live in, which might influence a hiring decision and salary negotiations.

Putting a Street Address in Your Resume Heading

Here are my thoughts on whether or not you should put your street address in your resume heading.

If you're applying directly to a specific company, and your resume is being submitted via email, US Post, or directly onto the company's website, you should include the street address on your resume. The company is unlikely to use your personal information for anything other than your job application so, in my opinion, it seems safe to give them that information up front.

If you're posting your resume on public job boards (for example, Monster, Careerbuilder, or Craigslist) and you have any hesitation about putting your street address in the public eye, you should delete the street address from the heading of your resume. However, unless you're trying to relocate, DO include the city, state, and zip code. The zip code is sometimes one of the "keywords" used by an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) search engine to find people for a job opening. Without the zip, a resume may be overlooked.

If you're going through a recruitment agency, ask about their privacy policy to figure out whether or not to put the street address in your resume heading.